Coupling and yoke connection



En GEORGE, JR., AND I; HfMILLIKEN,

COUPLING AND YOKE CONNECTIQN APFLICATION FILED JU!.Y 30, I920.

Patented Dem @5 1921i.

2 SHEETSI-SHEET 1.

1% 30 ll mm E. GEORGE, 1A., AND I. H. MILLIKEN.-

COUPLING AND YOKE CONNECTIONI APPLICATIOh FILED JULY 30,1920.

Patented]. Dem. MEL

ZSHEETSSHEET 2. I

62 6M KA M ENOCH GEORGE, JR., 01E PITTSBURGH, ill-ND" ISAAQ' H. MJELLHTEN, 01E A$TPINWALL PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOJRS TU THE MCCONWAY dz: TUNJLEY COMPANY, 015 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. V

GOUJPLING AND TONE CONNECTION.

iaaaeio.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented pet. a, rear.

Application filed July 30, 1920. Serial No. 399,993.

51' 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ENOOH GEORGE, Jr., and Isaac H. MiLninnN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling and Yoke Connections; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de' scription of the invention, such as will on able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to a coupler and yoke connection embodied in a draft appliance for railway cars, and isespecially de til signed to enable couplers of the type commonly attached to cars without capability of lateral swinging movement, to be applied to passenger or o her cars where a pivotal movement of the coupler with respect to the car is desired.

The primary object of the invention is to afford a strong, durable and efficient operating mechanism which may be economically manufactured. In its principal aspects this object is accomplished, generally stated, by incorporating in an intermediate member, through the intervention of which the coupler and draft yoke are connected, structural features effecting a disposition of metal ap proximately in the lines of strain communicated from the yoke when the mechanism is subjected to draft, and by constructing the rear end of the intermediate member so as to afford ample strength for the transmission of buffing shocks and at the same time prevent undue increase in the compression of the springs of the draft gear incident to lateral swinging of the coupler with respect to the draft yoke. The construction also facilitates eflicicnt manufacture in that it provides for core openings enabling the intermediate member to be cast by the use of a single core.

In the drawings illustrating the referred embodiment of the invention, t e scope whereof is pointed out inthe claims,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a coupler and yoke connectinn involving the'invention, the

forward end of the car coupler and a portion of the draft yoke being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construc tion shown in Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a vertical section on the line 3-43, Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4E is a detail section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2. i

Fig. Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the stem of a car coupler and 2 a draft yoke. The stem 1 of the coupler is of a well known type which is commonly attached to the yoke or draft links of the draft rigging by means of 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5,

a key, said stem being for that purpose provided near its rear end with a transverse horizontal key slot 3. The form of yoke illustrated in the drawings is also of a well known type involving longitudinally extendin vertically spaced arms 4t which are provic ed at their forward ends with vertically,

alineol openings 5 adapte'il to receive a pin 6 for pivotally connecting the draft yoke to the intermediate member 7 of the mechanism. The cushioning unit of the draft. gear (not shown), which may consist of the usual followers and interposed springs, is adapted to be received between the arms 4: of the draft yoke 52.

The member 7 which is intermediate of i sired cotters 11 which pass through the key 10 outside of the intermediate member 7 may be employed to retain the key in assembled position. 1

The slotted portions 8 of the intermediate member are-integrally united at their rear ends by a transversely extending wall 12 adapted to engage the rear end of the coupler stem 1 and to receive the buffing shocks transmitted by the coupler; and it is preferred also to unite the slotted arms 8 by upper and lower webs or plates 13 which, in conpmction with therear portions of the 831d arms 8, form a socket 1 1 for the reception of the rear end of the coupler stem 1.

The intermediate member 7 is preferably provided at its rear end not only with a pivot lug 15 in horizontal alinement with the coupler stem, but also with upper and lower pivot lugs 16 and 17 respectively, which are spaced vertically from the central lug so as to allow'the forward ends or pivot lugsfl? of the arms 4 of the draft yoke to mesh with the several pivot lugs 15, 16 and 17. 'The central pivot lug 15, which 1s preferably hollow, is provided with vertically almed openings 18 forming a pivot pin hole for the reception of the pivot pin 6, and the upper and lower pivot lugs are provided w th correspondingly alined pivot pin openings 19 y and 20, respectively.

In order to protect the pivot lugs 4 of the draftyoke from injury in buffing the central lug 15 is preferably extended rearwardly somewhat beyond them, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3,-so that the entire bufling shock is communicated to the front follower of the cushioning unit (not shown) of the draft r1 sively.

The pivot In '15 preferably is gradually reduced in widt .rearwardly' from the transverse wall 12 to the pivot pin openings 18 and continues at such reduced width to its rear end, the reduction in width ofthe end wall 21, which is adapted to abut the front gging through the lug 15 exclu- -follower (not shown) of the draft rigging, thus preventing undue compression of the draftwsprings when the coupler and intermediate member 7 execute pivotal move- -ments with respect to the draft yoke 2. The

contraction'jin width .of the pivot lug 15 is preferably effected by forming ,said pivot lug-with rearwardly converging side walls 22 which are integrally united attheir forward ends by the transverse-wall 12 .which separates the coupler receiving-socket 14 of the intermediate member from the interior of the central pivot lugz- The inclined walls or webs 22, it will be'observed, are disposed approximately in the lines of the draft strains whichare communicated to the intermediate member 7 by the coupler and transsuiiicient distance from the pivot pin openings in the pivot lugs to avoid interference with the forward ends of the arms a of the draft yoke when the coupler executes a lateral swinging movement. I

The transverse wall 12 of the intermediate member may advantageously be provided withan opening 24 affording communication between the coupler'receiving socket 14 and ,the interior of the hollow pivoting 15. This opening permits the intermediate member 7 to be made by the use of a single core, as will bereadily understood. In order to facilitate anchoring this core it is preferred to provide the end wall 21 of the pivot lug 15 with an opening 25.

The pivot pin Gis preferably designed to i be downwardly removable. To maintain it inassembled position the lower pivot lug 17 may be integrally provided with a supporting bracket 26 upon which is slidably mounted a plate 27 on which the lower end of the pivot pin rests. By sliding the supporting plate 27 from beneath the pivotvpin'the latter may be withdrawn. This means for supporting the downwardly removable pivot pin in assembled position is well known and is merely illustrated as a convenient means which may be employed for that purpose. We claim:-

1. In a device of' the character indicated, the combination with a coupler having a slotted stem, of a draft yoke, a member intermediate of said cou ler and yoke and pivotally connected to t e latter, a key for connecting said coupler and intermediate member, and means for pivotally connecting saidintermediate member and yoke, said intermediate member being provided at its forward end with oppositely disposed slotted portions .adapted to receive the coupler stem between them and being provided at its rear end with a plurality of perforated pivot lugs which are integrally united on opposite sides by rearwardly convergingwebs.

2. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler having a stem, of a yoke having longitudinally extending arms provided with pivot in openings at their forward ends, a'mem or intermediate of said coupler andyoke provided with a transversely extending wall adapted to engage the rear end of said coupler stem and havin a pivot lu adapted to extend between an be pivota ly connected to said yoke arms, means for connectin said coupler and intermediate member, an a pivot pin extending into said pivot lu and pivot in openings, said pivot lug being provi ed with r'earwardly conver 'ng side walls which are integrally united y said transversely extending wall.

3. In a device'of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler having a stem, of a yoke having vertically spaced portions provided with alined pivot pin openings, :1 member intermediate of said coupler and yoke provided at its rear end with a hollow pivot lug adapted to extend between said vertically spaced portions of said yoke, means for connecting said coup ler and intermediate member, and a pivot .pin extending into said pivot lug and pivot 4. In a device of the character indicated,

the combination with a coupler having astem, of a yoke having vertically spaced portions provided with a-lined pivot pin openings, a member intermediate of said coupler and yoke provided at its rear end with a pin ality of spaced pivot lugs having vertically alined perforations, means for connecting said coupler and intermediate member, and a pivot pin extending into said pivot pin openings and said pivot lugs, one of said pivot lugs being adapted to extend between said vertically spaced portions of the yoke and being provided with rearwardly converging side walls, and said intermediate member having rearwardly converging webs integrally connecting the adjacent pivot lugs.

5. A memberadapted for pivotally conmeeting the stem. of a car coupler to a draft yoke, said member having a transverse wall adapted to engage the rear end of the coupler stem and having at its rear end a plurality of spaced perforated lugs adapted to receive a pivot pin for connecting a draft yoke thereto, one of said pivot lugs being in horizontal alinement w1th said transverse wall and being formed with a rear end adapted to abut the forward follower of a draft rigging and having on opposite sides rear-.

wardly inclined webs integrally united to said transverse wall.

lin testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

ENOCH oEonon JR. ISAAC n. MiLLiKEN. 

